# US 12,215,275 B2 · Compositions for enhanced oil recovery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,215,275 B2 - Document ID: US12215275B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/636,086 - Filed: 2020-08-24 - Published: 2022-09-22 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-22 - Applicants: ChampionX LLC - Inventors: Duy T. Nguyen; Tzu-Ping Hsu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215275B2 ## CPC - C09K 8/584: characterised by the use of specific surfactants - E21B 43/16: Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract Compositions and methods for increasing recovery, or flowback, of hydrocarbon compounds from hydrocarbon-containing subterranean oil formations. Concentrates include a sulfonated and/or a sulfated surfactant, an alkoxylated alcohol surfactant, a coupling agent, a hydrotrope, an additional surfactant, and water. Injectate compositions for oil recovery include the concentrate and a water source such as a produced water and/or seawater. Inclusion of particular hydrotropes such as sodium xylene sulfonate and/or potassium toluene phosphate in the compositions provides higher yields of hydrocarbons recovered. Larger amounts of hydrotrope result in an increase in injectate interfacial tension, but also result, as judged by decreased turbidity, in improved compatibility of the surfactant system in injectates made with water sources comprising salts. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A concentrate for enhanced oil recovery, the concentrate comprising: (i) a sulfonated or sulfated surfactant; (ii) an alkoxylated alcohol surfactant; (iii) a coupling agent; (iv) a hydrotrope; (v) an additional surfactant selected from an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, or any combination thereof; and (vi) water, wherein the hydrotrope comprises an aryl phosphate, an alkaryl phosphate, an arylalkyl phosphate, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, wherein the hydrotrope is the aryl phosphate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, wherein the alkoxylated alcohol surfactant has a formula R1—O—(R2O)m-(CH2)—CO2X, wherein R1 is a C10 to C20 alkyl group, R2 is a C1 to C4 alkylene group, m is 1 to 10, and X is hydrogen or an alkali metal ion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The concentrate of claim 3, wherein R1 is tridecyl, R2 is —CH2CH2—, and m is 3. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, wherein the sulfonated or sulfated surfactant is a C15 to C18 internal olefin sulfonate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, wherein the hydrotrope is potassium toluene phosphate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The concentrate of claim 6, comprising about 1 gram to about 7 grams of potassium toluene phosphate per 100 grams of the concentrate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, wherein a molar ratio of the coupling agent to the hydrotrope is about 2.6 to about 9.5. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, wherein the additional surfactant is selected from betaines, sultaines, alkyl amine oxides, alkyl amphoacetates, alkylamphopropionates, alkyliminodipropionate, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, wherein the additional surfactant is lauryl betaine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, wherein the coupling agent is ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, comprising 5 wt % to 15 wt % of the sulfonated or sulfated surfactant, 1 wt % to 5 wt % of the alkoxylated alcohol surfactant, 5 wt % to 15 wt % of the additional surfactant, and 5 wt % to 15 wt % of the coupling agent based on a total weight of the concentrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, wherein a weight ratio of the hydrotrope to total surfactant in the concentrate is about 0.1:1 to about 0.2:1. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, comprising 50 wt % to 70 wt % water based on a total weight of the concentrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The concentrate of claim 1, wherein the hydrotrope comprises one or more compounds having a structure: wherein X is H or an alkali metal and R4 is a C1-C6 alkyl; wherein X is hydrogen or alkali metal, and R4 and R5 are independently selected from C1 to C3 alkyl; or any combination thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) An injectate composition comprising the concentrate of claim 1 and a water source selected from seawater, produced water, tap water, distilled water, deionized water, brine, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The injectate composition of claim 16, wherein a total concentration of surfactant in the injectate composition is 1.06 to 1.18 wt % of the injectate composition. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The injectate composition of claim 16, wherein a turbidity of the injectate composition is 300 to 800 NTU and an interfacial tension of the injectate composition is 0.0065 to 0.03 mN/m. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The injectate composition of claim 16, comprising 3 wt % to 5 wt % salts based on a total weight of the injectate composition. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) A method of enhanced oil recovery, the method comprising: (a) introducing the injectate of claim 16 into a subterranean oil formation; and (b) recovering a hydrocarbon from the subterranean oil formation.